Chapter 15 ...Bad and good memories
The story of Dad and Uncle Mu can be summed up in one sentence—the same joys and sorrows.
As long as I can remember, my father and Uncle Mu have been working in the same office in the research institute.
They often work on projects until late at night. When I was young, my father used to stroke my hair and say, "Xiaoge, you have to become a researcher just like your father."
I believe that Uncle Mu has the same expectation for Mu Nanqiao. But when we grew up, invariably we did not follow their arrangements.
Mu Nanqiao was born with a fanatical fascination with architecture, so he filled out the best architecture department in the country without hesitation. And because of my lack of talent, no matter how hard I work, my grades can only hover in the middle and upper reaches.
Privately, Mu Nanqiao showed me the architectural pictorials he collected. At that time, he was in high spirits, pointed to the map and said: "Xiaoge, the High Line Park in the United States is a long line, passing through the city, people can take a break in the park on the way to work, shopping, and walking.
The parks in China are all closed circles and have a certain distance from the residential area, so it brings a lot of inconvenience to people. One day, I will build many High Line parks."
Mu Nanqiao, who has dreams, is so beautiful.
And my dream - to be able to accompany such a beautiful Mu Nanqiao all the time.
The most profound thing in my memory is that Mu Nanqiao showed me a magazine picture. It was a gleaming silver-gray round building, and the pool on the right reflected the blue sky and white clouds.
He asked me to guess what the building was for, and promised to get candy if I guessed right.
"Cakehouse?"
He smiled: "Sure enough, she is a foodie."
"That's the swimming pool. Don't today's gymnasiums like strange shapes?"
"too small."
I can't guess.
Mu Nanqiao scratched my nose and said, "This is the Nanshan Wedding Hall."
To this day, I still remember how he carefully explained to me what that magazine picture looked like. The long eyelashes drooped down, covering the black lacquer eyes, and under the delicate nose bridge were seductive lips, and the slightly magnetic voice was telling me——
It was the wedding hall, a sacred place.
People walked up the long arc-shaped ladder together and came to the circular central hall, where they made a beautiful vow of life together.
"If only I could go and have a look," I said at the time.
He immediately replied, "Okay, I'll take you there one day."
Heart, beating very fast. I endured it for a long time and didn't tell Mu Nanqiao that he was able to take me there, I was really happy, very happy.
I thought we'd go on like this forever. Although there were all kinds of girls around him, I was always the one by his side. But things are unpredictable. Sometimes you are enjoying the scenery outside the window, but you can't predict that fate is a roller coaster, driving at the top.
The next moment, is the rapid flow down.
In the third year of high school, I tasted the ups and downs of the world.
I don't remember when, it seems to be natural, the wrinkles and ravines on Dad's forehead became deeper, and the whole person was a lot haggard. Mom's face also became a lot dignified, and occasionally she sighed heavily.
I didn't realize that something had cracked.
Until one day, Dad finished the meal in silence, and did not rush me to wash the dishes. He asked me to sit at the table and said, "don't interact with Mu Nanqiao in the future."
"why?"
Dad looked at me and said nothing. Mom said angrily beside him: "Your father and Mu Qianpeng did the project together, but he was the one who applied for the patent later! Does he still have any conscience?"
Uncle Mu stole the most important thing in my father's life. The feeling in my heart at that moment, I am afraid I do not want to look back on it for the rest of my life. Later, I only knew that children are the saddest.
Their world is growing day by day, being destroyed, and finally being trampled into powder in the adult world.
I didn't contact Mu Nanqiao anymore, I hid on the way to school, didn't dare to talk to him when I saw him in school, and my tablemate said to me seriously - you shouldn't be so close to Mu Nanqiao, he is a male god and you Will be opposed by all girls.
I really didn't contact Mu Nanqiao anymore.
Even after he was recommended to the university in advance, and when he was the most nervous about studying, he packed up and bought a train ticket to this city, but I didn't even send him off.
Just two months before the college entrance examination, my father fell ill.
At first, my mother kept the secret from me and only told me that my father was on a business trip, but her panicked look betrayed her. Finally, I followed her all the way to the hospital, only to find that my father had lost his shape.
It is stomach cancer and must be operated on as soon as possible. But the surgery cost a lot of money, and my mother wanted to cry without tears.
In recent years, my father has been concentrating on research and has no part-time income. The medical expenses in the early stage have been spent on the remaining savings.
I was in a hurry to borrow money with my mother, but relatives who were usually friendly to us politely refused us when they heard that we wanted to borrow money. After a trip, we only borrowed a few thousand dollars.
My mother was so worried that her temples had gray hair overnight, but she didn't dare to complain in front of my father. She only said that relatives were very concerned about his condition, and the operation fee had already been raised.
I carefully peeled the apple next to me, and I couldn't bear to remind my mother that in fact, Dad's expression had already been revealed. He guessed that we didn't borrow any money, so there was no need to lie to him.
If relatives would lend us money, why wouldn't they come and visit Dad?
Two days later, someone finally came to visit Dad, and it turned out to be Uncle Mu.
He was wearing a decent suit, his hair was neatly arranged, and his cheeks were flushed red, and he carried a black suitcase into the ward. Dad was eating a bowl of porridge, and when he saw him coming in, he pushed the porridge bowl away.
Mom stood up alertly, and I started to get nervous.
"What are you doing?" Dad asked coldly.
Uncle Mu didn't care, he smiled slightly and said, "Lao Jiang, of course I want to see you when you are ill. We are colleagues for more than ten years and our relationship can't be without this kind of friendship, right?
Girl, is uncle not welcome?"
I stepped back timidly and quickly glanced at Dad. His face was gloomy, and he did not relieve the gloom.
Uncle Mu hit a nail and looked at my mother in embarrassment: "Brother and sister, look..."
"Mu Qianpeng, if you still have your younger brother and sister in your eyes and Lao Jiang in your heart, then you know what he needs most.
" Mom straightened her back and snorted coldly, "Lao Jiang has been indifferent to fame and fortune all his life, just thinking about it.
Be fair! If you put his name on the project you jointly developed, I think he will be able to cure at least one heart disease!"
"This, please forgive me." Uncle Mu said word by word.
"You!" Dad was trembling with anger, pointed at him and said, "Mu Qianpeng, you forgot how I used to be with you and the sleepless nights? You can't be without a conscience. I handed over my name, are you worthy of me?"
When Dad finished speaking, he coughed violently. My mother and I hurriedly stepped forward to pat him on the back.
Uncle Mu smiled lightly, put the suitcase in his hand on the bed, and opened it with a "pop", revealing the neatly packed banknotes.
"Lao Jiang, I know you need money, so am I here to help? Let's talk about the signature slowly. This money is life-saving money. You can't refuse me."
Dad almost growled: "Fuck you! I don't want your stinky money!"
"Okay, call me when you need my stinky money." Uncle Mu closed the suitcase, "I'm leaving, and I'll see you when you welcome me."
"roll!"
No matter how well Rao is disguised, Uncle Mu can't keep his smile on his face. He glanced at us coldly and walked outside. My mother said to me with a crying voice: "Xiaoge, pour a cup of hot water for your father."
"Okay." I picked up the hot water bottle by my feet and found that there was still half a bottle of hot water. However, when I got up, I said in a mysterious way, "Mom, the hot water is out, I'll go get the hot water, you take care of Dad first."
Without waiting for her to say anything, I ran outside with the thermos in my hand. Uncle Mu didn't go very far. He just walked to the elevator entrance, frowned at the crowd, and planned to open the stair door and walk downstairs. I chased after him and shouted, "Uncle Mu, wait a minute!"
He stopped and looked at me.
I ran to him out of breath and put down the thermos: "Uncle, my dad needs that money."
He froze for a moment, then smiled: "Girl, I know you are the most active, not as rigid as your father. This is just a part of the money, you take it first, and I will give it to you later. Don't worry about your father's sick, you know?"
I nod.
He handed the suitcase over with confidence. I carried it, it was quite heavy.
In the past, I never knew that banknotes could be so heavy. Such a thin and light pink banknote can buy food and daily necessities. Think of everything in this world, and if you accumulate a lot, it will be so heavy that you can't breathe.
The hatred is also, it sprouts a little in my heart every day, and now it has accumulated into a thick shackle, pressing heavily on my heart.
I opened the suitcase and threw the bills out of the window. Those banknotes were scattered in the air, like a snowstorm. Only, that snowflake is pink.